Thank you for this opportunity! Here's my Instagram username: @alinaselah

How can anyone be expected to move on after losing a crucial piece of their life, a special person in their heart? My name is Alina Hernandez and I know from personal experience, it's not the easiest thing to overcome. God is my first love and I am grateful that he has given me a large capacity to love music and my family. I am a 19-year-old freshman at Berklee Online born in Pomona, California and raised in the Inland Empire. Born into a big, musical family, I grew up appreciating how connected all of us are; not just immediate family, but extended as well. The term "family" doesn't just include blood, but close friends throughout my life, too. One person who was instrumental in my musical education and personal improvement was my music teacher, Professor Marcus Coleman. I joined his small performing arts school in 2015 when I was 11 years old. He was a musical genius with a unique sense of humor and years of extensive work in the music industry. Most importantly, he had a huge heart for kids like me; kids who he recognized had major potential, kids he wanted to pass on his wisdom to and care for. Over the years, he taught me practically everything I know about every aspect of music. He invested so much time and effort into his students (including me and my three siblings). He supported me through every step of life, constantly pushing me past my limits. Eventually, he became an extension of our own family, along with his family and the school. He was my "second dad." From teacher and student to musical colleagues, we created a strong musical bond and a great friendship that everyone recognized and respected. One of my last memories with him is graduating from his tutelage in 2022 as a high school senior at his performing arts school. It was sentimental, joyous, and heartfelt. I was already accepted into Berklee College of Music by then (Professor Coleman was the first person I told of course.) and things were going well. I was continuing to pursue my career outside of school as an independent artist, as well as attending college, and he was beginning the next school year with high hopes for my younger sister's graduation. In mid-September of this year, my parents woke us up in the middle of the night to break the news of his passing. I was in complete shock. It didn't seem real considering we were just with him recently. I had always envisioned him living forever like Yoda from Star Wars. I had dreams of him meeting and teaching my kids as he taught me. For a while, I was in a state of shock, mild depression, and acute denial. I remembered his last words to me on my younger siblings' first day of school. I didn't touch my keyboard for a long time. Amid all these emotions, I remained calm and level-headed on the outside. I had to because I was still working on different projects in LA and I was focusing heavily on my college work. In honor of his memory, dedication, love, and our bond, I knew I couldn't disregard his teachings. We would want me to keep calm and carry on. So here I am, continuing my musical journey as a student and professional in the industry. I intend on finishing and releasing our unfinished album and monetizing every talent I have like he taught me to. I want to be an inspiration to other artists as he was to me. He gave his entire life to music and the education of kids in the Inland Empire who didn't have the resources he had in the Los Angeles music scene. I fully intend on graduating from Berklee College of Music and making it to the Grammys. I'm going to have my own studio and turn it into a music hub for creatives. I will not let his hard work (and mine) be in vain. That is why I come to you for financial help so I can make my dreams a reality. Paying for my tuition is no small task. It's probably one of the toughest challenges I've had to face yet and I am nowhere near done with it yet. To be perfectly honest, I might not even make it through a full year with Berklee in my current financial situation. I tell you my story and kindly ask for your support so I may finish what I started. I am fighting to keep my professor's legacy alive through my success, so I can spread his story and become a successful, multifaceted music industry professional that will inspire others to keep fighting, to persevere. Thank you for your consideration.

Hello, my name is Alina Hernandez. I am a 19-year-old undergraduate student at Berklee College of Music as a Songwriting and Producing Music major. Music has always been my passion and I am still awestruck by the fact that I am attending Berklee! I am a vocalist, songwriter, pianist, arranger, sound engineer, and producer with live performance and studio experience. I grew up in a musical family and have always appreciated the ability of a musician to express humanity and deep emotions through musical frequencies. As a music student, I'm always striving to reach my goals, surpass them, and persevere toward greatness. In the next five years, I hope to be an official Berklee graduate and an actively working artist. I want to have original music released (albums, singles, etc.) that expresses universal messages everyone can relate to. I want to touch people with uplifting, comforting ideas and good vibes. A major dream I hope to accomplish in the next five years is to perform for award shows like the Grammys (as a background vocalist or even an artist). Even better, I'll continue to manifest my dream of being a Grammy nominee and winner. I aspire to collaborate with musicians, engineers, and artists that have inspired me throughout my years of studying. Although I've already had multiple experiences like this (performing with Stevie Wonder for an international broadcast, performing all over Los Angeles and the Inland Empire in Southern California, and more), I believe that music has no limits and I strive to go further and further in my journey every day. As a young Latina (born in Pomona, California) with a musical style of Jazz, RnB, and Neo-Soul, I fully understand what it feels like to not entirely fit into the boxes that society and the music industry believes I should conform to. I know that the music industry (especially the Jazz genre) is predominantly male and would easily underestimate female artists like me. I want to be an inspiration for other young aspiring female creatives to not feel intimidated by the daunting "reality" the music industry has tried to uphold. With the help and support from my family, friends, professors, mentors, and colleagues, I have been able to accomplish amazing things. In honor of them and the musical calling I was born with, I have continued to hone my craft to become a multifaceted industry professional. I have my mom to thank for my love for singing and piano. When I was a toddler, she introduced me to the basics of music. Since then, I have been working professionally since I was 14 years old. From singing in church to performing in LA, to recording scratch tracks and background vocals for different projects, my journey in music has been amazing. I come to you for help so I can continue my musical education. As wonderful as it has been these past two semesters, it has been a major financial struggle for me. I pay for tuition with my own money, resulting in me giving up what little I had in savings to pursue this endeavor. Of course, nothing will ever stop me from pursuing music, but having to quit college due to financial difficulties would be a heartbreaking setback. In honor of my late music professor (a dearly missed friend and father figure who I studied with since I was 11 years old), I want to see this through to the end and graduate. For him, for my supporters, and for all of my hard work leading up to this, I ask for your help. Thank you!

Hello, my name is Alina Hernandez and I am 18 years old. I am a college freshman at Berklee College of Music (Online) pursuing a bachelor's degree as a Songwriting and Producing Music major. I am a singer/songwriter, vocalist, pianist, producer, and arranger based in the Inland Empire with years of experience recording, performing live and studying music. I was born into a musical family and I have constantly been surrounded by music my whole life. I've never felt like I was forced to love it, I just always have and I'm extremely lucky to have such a firm circle of support. Of course, I have my family to thank for my success along with my former music teacher, Professor Marcus Coleman. I resonate with the motivation behind this scholarship because my long-time music professor, dear friend, and adopted "dad" just passed in September. He was the executive director of his school, "The Inland Conservatory for the Performing Arts" (a.k.a. ICPA), and without him, we have had to close down the school. I am one of three of the last high school graduates from his performing arts school. I'm heartbroken and truly feel connected with the mission of this scholarship because he also put his whole life into running the school and giving the students real-life knowledge of the industry from his years of personal experience. He pushed me beyond my limits, helped me grow as a musician and a person, and always supported me. He always told me to do whatever it takes to reach my goals and monetize all my God-given talent, so I want to do everything I can to honor his hard work and pass on his legacy to my colleagues and younger generations of up-and-coming artists. I want to show people that even a young female, Latina who loves Jazz, Soul, and R&B can make it in this dominantly-male industry. I would love to partner with foundations like the Latin Grammys, Music Forward Foundation, and others to help with their scholarship programs. Also, I've always dreamed of owning a studio with the reputation of a musical hub of creativity where artists can come and record, song write, collaborate, and more. The cherry on top would be if I could help resurrect his school in his name to continue his mission of bringing professional-level music education to the Inland Empire so other kids with big potential like me can pursue their dreams in their local area instead of having to fight the competition in Los Angeles. Thank you for setting time aside to read my application and consider me for this scholarship. It would mean the world to me and, I'm sure, to my dearly missed music professor. I hope to reciprocate any financial help I receive during my seasons of education and development to other talented young artists just as passionate about music as I am.